Mick McCarthy looks to boost striking options with Luton's James Collins
Mick McCarthy is looking in on League One for a possible solution to Ireland's goalscoring problems, with in-form Luton Town striker James Collins emerging as a potential call-up for next month's European Championship qualifiers against Gibraltar and Georgia.
McCarthy sent Robbie Keane to run the rule over Collins against Wycombe last weekend and the 28-year-old did not disappoint as he scored his 19th goal of the season in a 3-0 win.
Collins has played for Ireland at under-19 and under-21 level, scoring a hat-trick for the 21s against Liechtenstein in the European Championships back in 2013.
"I’d love an international call-up, it would be a massive thing for me personally and my family," said Collins.
"I’m focused on doing well for Luton at the minute but if I can keep producing what I’m doing then who knows what might happen?
"Definitely, it (a senior call-up) always been an ambition of mine. I know that Ireland have had some great strikers over the years and I’ve always looked from afar. At the minute it might seem like reality, but I’m not going to get too caught up in it.
"It’s out of my hands and if it comes, it comes, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t."
